The People`s Tribunal for Afghan Women, currently being held in Madrid, Spain, continued its second day of hearings by examining various dimensions of the Taliban`s policies against women in Afghanistan.

According to *AnsarPress News Agency*, at the opening of today`s session, the prosecutors announced that the day`s focus would be on three key issues: the Taliban`s restrictions on women`s access to healthcare, their treatment of women with disabilities, and the group`s broader suppression of women`s fundamental rights. Several witnesses were scheduled to testify-both in person and remotely.

Throughout the proceedings, the prosecutors presented charges against the Taliban, followed by witness testimonies describing personal experiences and evidence related to the accusations.

Taliban`s Restrictions on Healthcare Access

Urzala Nemat, one of the tribunal`s prosecutors, stated at the start of the session that the Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on women`s access to medical services across Afghanistan.

Another prosecutor, Banafsha Yaqubi, emphasized that the Taliban have systematically destroyed the rights of persons with disabilities, particularly women and girls, describing these actions as gender-based persecution and crimes against humanity.

Witnesses from various parts of Afghanistan gave testimony about the Taliban`s policies and their devastating consequences for women`s daily lives.

One witness from Kandahar Province-the Taliban`s birthplace and the home of their leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada-testified that women`s access to healthcare had been severely restricted, leading to catastrophic outcomes.

A midwife by profession, she said she had witnessed women dying from preventable diseases. She explained that in Kandahar`s rural districts, women lack access to maternal and obstetric services, and many die en route to hospitals in the city.

Another witness highlighted a silent mental health crisis among women under Taliban rule. She testified that countless women suffer from psychological disorders, but due to Taliban restrictions, the absence of female therapists, and the social stigma around counseling, they have no access to mental health support.

"Murder, Torture, and Forced Nakedness"

Two well-known Afghan women protest leaders also testified on the second day of the tribunal.

Huda Khamosh recounted witnessing Taliban fighters drag a former Afghan soldier and his son out of their home and shoot them both in the chest. She said the man had previously served as a police officer in Khost Province.

Khamosh also testified that in Balkh Province, Taliban members killed several female protesters, whose bodies were later found near roadsides, mosques, and garbage bins. She added that the Taliban raided her home, but she managed to escape.

Zarmina Periani, another prominent protester who was arrested and imprisoned with her three sisters, gave harrowing testimony about her detention.

She stated that she and her sisters were severely tortured in prison and that an order had been issued for their execution. Periani also said she witnessed the torture and even deaths of other detainees under Taliban custody.

The activist recounted that, despite the Taliban`s claims of Islamic governance, they stripped her naked during interrogation and photographed her body.

Violence and Psychological Trauma

A female journalist also testified before the tribunal, describing how Taliban members beat her husband in front of their children.

She said her son, though now older, still suffers from severe trauma and cannot control his bladder, forcing the family to use diapers for him at night.

She added that both she and her husband have been mentally scarred by the experience-startled by loud noises and constantly fearing another Taliban attack.

The People`s Tribunal for Afghan Women-which seeks to document and prosecute gender-based crimes committed by the Taliban-began yesterday in Madrid and will continue through tomorrow.

It aims to amplify the voices of Afghan women, expose systematic abuses, and hold perpetrators accountable under international human rights and humanitarian law.